#USVreact training with university staff is underway in the 4 partner countries, and the training resources will be made available soon. Here the programmes being run at each university:

Learning outcomes

Participants will be able to:

  •    Understand their role as a first responder to disclosure;
  •    Define sexual violence and understand the complexity of it;
  •    Recognise the different types of disclosure and the contexts for these;
  •    Respond to a disclosure in an appropriate way to ensure that the student feels supported at the point of disclosure;
  •    Make the student aware of the support available to them in the short, medium and longer term.
  •    Support the student in the decision-making process at the point of disclosure for accessing support.
  •    Initiate an appropriate care pathway to ensure that support is available to the student in the short, medium and longer term.

Session 1: Key Foci

  •    Explain the first responder role;
  •    Identify who might be a first responder and when;
  •    Define sexual violence;
  •    Understand existing perceptions of sexual violence;
  •    Understand disclosure;
  •    Respond to the disclosures from different people;
  •    Evaluate ‘dos and don’ts’ in response to disclosure.

Session 2: Key Foci

  •    State the skills required by the first responder;
  •    Know the support services available to the student;
  •    Respond effectively to disclosure signposting the student to the most appropriate services;
  •    Understand the potential impact on the first responder of hearing a disclosure;

·    Know the support available to the first responder and the importance of this support.

Learning objectives

  •    Define sexual violence and understand the complexity of it.
  •    Relate sexual violence to cultural norms and gender inequality and understand why some students may be particularly vulnerable.
  •    Develop the skills to respond to a disclosure in an appropriate way and ensure that students feel supported at the point of disclosure.
  •    Have sufficient knowledge about care pathways and referral options to provide the student with options to seek further help if they wish.
  •    Be able to maintain boundaries and look after own emotional well-being when handling a disclosure.

Part one: understanding sexual violence  

  •       An introduction to the purpose of the training and the wider research project.
  •       To learn about the prevalence of sexual violence in HE and connections to laddism.
  •       To understand the multiple forms of violence and legal definitions.
  •       To understand and interrogate common myths about violence and the impact they have.
  •       To understand how sexual violence affects the lives of survivors.
  •       To explore the multiple barriers faced in disclosing sexual violence.
  •       To provide opportunity to ask any questions and reflect on the session.

Part two: handling disclosures and supporting survivors

  •   To start thinking about disclosures and the circumstances in which disclosures may occur.
  •       To learn about active listening and practice active listening skills.
  •       To understand the different kinds of support available, both internal and external to the university.
  •       To learn about the practical things to do and not do when responding to a sexual violence disclosure and have the opportunity to reflect on how you would respond to different situations.
  •       To think about how to look after yourself and maintain appropriate boundaries when being a first responder.

·       To reflect on what has been learnt and ask any final questions.

Training, entitled  “Sexual violence at the University: recognize, accompany and rethinking response strategies” will start at Rovira i Vigili University at the end of Jenuary 2017.

Its main purpose is to increase the capacity of the University community for the protection of the rights of people affected by the sexual harassment/violence.

The course, completely free, are developed with participatory methodologies and in smalls groups  (10-12 people), with a duration of 10 hours, distributed in two sessions.

For more information, registration and  full programme http://usvreact.eu/ca/cursos-usvreact-urv/

Training has started at Panteion University. The sessions take place at the Centre for Gender Studies, Department of Social Policy (http://www.genderstudies-panteion.gr/en/). Each cohort comprises 12-14 participants, and includes members of staff and students. The first couple of groups have completed two 4-hour sessions with senior trainers Dr. Matina Papagiannopoulou and Dr. Kiki Petroulaki.

Training sessions address issues of sexual violence at university, and gender violence more broadly, and include both discussion of theoretical and policy frameworks and practical exercises. So far, groups have responded with great interest and have expressed the desire to develop further self-organised initiatives at the university to address issues of sexual and gender violence.

more info: http://www.genderstudies-panteion.gr/en/

University Support for Victims of Sexual Violence; a training course for sustainable services over time.

Original title in Italian: “UNIVERSITÀ A SUPPORTO DELLE VITTIME DI VIOLENZA SESSUALE. Un percorso di formazione per servizi sostenibili nel tempo”

Learning objectives:

  • Recognize sexual violence:
    • Definition of sexual violence
    • Identification of different forms of sexual violence
    • The specificity of harassment at work and in university
  • Contrast and prevent sexual violence:
    • How to manage cases of disclosures
    • How to intervene and to support intervention
    • How to develop a culture contrasting sexual violence

Download the full programme outline here.

Gure ikastaroa, “Indarkeria sexuala unibertsitatean: prebentzioa, laguntza eta eraldaketa” izenburupean, 2017ko urtarriletik ari gara eskaintzen.

Ikastaroaren helburua indarkeria sexualaren inguruko ardura zabaltzea da. bere adierazpide ezberdinak identifikatu eta botere harreman desorekatuen markoan ulertzen lagunduz. Aldi berean tresna erabilgarriak eskaini nahi ditu hausnarketarako zein esku hartzerako, bai prebentzioaren ikuspegitik bai eta erantzunarenetik.

Ikastaroa unibertsitateko langileentzat irekia da eta talde txikietan burutzen da, parte hartzea indartu eta hausnarketa kritikorako aukerak irekitzeko.

Formazio eredu osoa hemen duzue eskuragarri: http://usvreact.eu/eu/ehu-material/